Family Reunion
by Lawral
Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion. Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.
1. The Question

Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

McGee hung up the phone and groaned as what he'd just said registered in his mind. His mother had called to tell him that the annual family reunion was going to be at his grandparents house this year and the date: Saturday, two days away. He'd assured her that he'd be there at noon. Then he'd said the stupidest thing ever. He was going to bring his girlfriend with him.

Why did he say he'd bring his girlfriend? He didn't even have a girlfriend. Now that he thought of it, he knew exactly why he'd said his girlfriend would accompany him. His cousin Stewart was always giving him grief for being a bachelor. He was always trying to prove to the family that McGee was "secretly in the closet." It was Stu's fault that McGee got so upset when people joked that he was gay.

He could have a girlfriend if he really wanted one. After all, he was a federal agent and a famous novelist. He just didn't have time for dating. His job kept him on call 24/7 and writing took up most of his free time. Some people would even say that he was to busy to have a pet but Jethro fit right into his home life.

Now he had to fabricate a girlfriend. Where was he going to find a girl who would agree to pose as his girlfriend? Abby would do it and probably send him into a weekend of embarrassment. Ziva might do it but she also would probably make the weekend torture. Sarah would know the truth, of course, but she could be bought off, so to speak.

"All right, whoever I see first will be the one I ask." McGee nodded to himself.

"Ask who what, Probie?" Tony asked, sitting down behind his desk.

McGee looked up to see Tony opening the sack from the barbeque place he loved. He pulled out a sandwich and threw it to McGee. He caught the sandwich and got to his feet to get one of the drinks Tony had brought with him. He returned to his desk and started to eat the lunch while opening another case file.

"Probie," Tony sang. "Who are you asking what?"

"It's personal, Tony." McGee said trying to throw off the question.

Tony laughed and rolled his chair to the side of McGee's desk. He tried desperately to attain McGee's attention. Why he needed to know the details of everyone's personal life could only be explained by his need to flaunt his own personal life.

"We are partners, McGee. If there is something going on that could keep you from…doing the best a McGeek can do, I should know about it." Tony said.

McGee rolled his eyes. Tony always tried to use the partner excuse to get the information no one was willing to give him. The worst part, it usually worked too.

"I have to go to my family reunion, Tony. I thought I'd call Sarah and offer her a ride." He paused, schooling his features to not expose the lie. "Happy now?"

Tony grimaced and pushed back to his own desk. If there was one thing Tony hated, it was not getting any juicy gossip. He hated it even more when the actual information contained someone's family. McGee put his half-eaten sandwich down on his desk and got to his feet. He might as well get it over with. Since he and Abby or Ziva would have to come up with some kind of story for his nosey cousin.

He made his way to the rear elevator and pressed the down button. Perhaps if he asked Abby then the cover story wouldn't be so hard. They had dated and the relationship between them would be real. There wouldn't be much left to come up with. They'd met at work, been dating for a few years, on-and-off of course and were very comfortable being with each other.

The doors opened and he looked up from his feet to enter the small room but stopped short. Ziva was looking up at him. She was waiting for him to enter the elevator or move out of the way, she could smell lunch and was looking forward to eating whatever Tony had brought back.

"On or out, McGee?" Ziva said, crossing her arms over her chest.

McGee sighed, he had said the first one he ran into was the one he was going to ask. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and started to enter the elevator. "In. In or out, Ziva, and I was wondering if I could ask you a question? Just between us."

Ziva stepped back into the elevator and hit the down button. After the doors closed, she hit the off switch, covering them in soft light as the main lights went off along with most of the electricity to the car.

McGee fidgeted and looked all over the car to keep from making eye contact with her. He didn't have anyone to blame but himself. He had been the one to say he was bringing his girlfriend with him over the weekend. It wasn't that Ziva wasn't attractive, she was. He like her, trusted her even, but this was way beyond a casual favor.

"I need a date." He said quickly.

"Excuse me?" Ziva said, raising an eyebrow and turning to face him.

McGee shifted his position. She was disobeying unwritten elevator etiquette by standing facing him instead of the doors. He stumbled over the words of his explanation. "I have a family reunion this weekend and-and-and I sort of told my mother that I was bringing a, uh, well a, um." He looked up to her slightly and creased his forehead in embarrassment. "My girlfriend."

Ziva laughed and leaned against the wall behind her as she continued to look at McGee with a sly smirk fixed on her face.

McGee took a deep breath and then closed his eyes as he asked the question. "Ziva, will you be my girlfriend?"


	2. Assurance

Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

"You want me to be your girlfriend?" Ziva asked, thoroughly amused.

"Oh, well.. I mean, just for, you know, the weekend. I- Ok, I have this cousin who's the equivalent of Tony. He's…"

Ziva put up a hand to stop him. He wasn't able to read her expression. She looked as if she was surprised, which he understood, but also she looked… He really couldn't put a name to it. She turned the electricity back on to the elevator and turned toward the door again. "Of course, McGee."

McGee looked at her in confusion again. The doors opened again and Ziva stepped out and walked toward her desk, McGee following behind her. He watched as she sat down at her desk calmly and started typing away. He approached her slowly as Tony sat watching the odd behavior.

"Ziva?" McGee said.

"I said yes, McGee."

"Yes to what, McGee?" Tony asked, jumping at the opportunity to find out what the two had been talking about.

"Are-are you sure? I mean, I could ask Abby." McGee said, nervously.

"Could ask Abby what?" Tony pried once more.

Ziva and McGee ignored him still as Ziva looked up to McGee. McGee could easily recognize the look in her eyes from where he stood in front of his desk. Why had he asked her to help him and then recanted the question? She'd said that she would help him. He lowered his gaze and turned around to sit behind his desk.

"Probie…"

"I was going to ask Abby if she'd watch Jethro for me this weekend but since Ziva lives closer… but I don't want to trouble her if she doesn't want to do it." McGee said, looking up to Ziva again.

"I said I would, McGee, it's no trouble. I will come by tonight." Ziva told him.

"Oh, I don't know McGee. Do you really want the ninja in your apartment? You might come home to find some dead guy in your bed." He smiled to Ziva. "Or a dead woman."

Gibbs came down the steps as Tony was talking and slapped him in the back of the head as he passed. Tony groaned from the impact and straightened up in his seat. McGee and Ziva only smiled at his expense.

Two hours later, the group was packing away their belongings for the weekend. Ziva looked toward McGee as she got to her feet. This weekend should be very interesting, she thought. Tony kept looked toward McGee and then glancing up at Ziva. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and plastered a smile on his face as he said goodnight.

"When should I come by your apartment?" Ziva asked, running down a packing list in her head.

"Uh," McGee looked down at his watch. "Should we say about seven? It takes about two, three hours to drive."

Ziva nodded her head, looking down at her own watch. She had about two hours to drive home, pack and drive to McGee's apartment; it was very doable. Ziva drove home to Silver Spring and entered her apartment. She was McGee's girlfriend as far as his family knew. She'd have to play the part.


	3. Backstory

Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

"Ok, so how did we meet?" McGee asked her anxiously.

Ziva looked over to him from the passenger seat of his Porsche. "We met at NCIS, McGee."

"Oh, right." McGee said, turning pink.

"Why are you so nervous, McGee?"

He watched as several cars passed by his window. He wasn't nervous, he was just… nervous. He sighed as he came to terms with the fact that she was right. Ziva had shown up at his apartment with a small suitcase and refused to allow him to carry it for her. Being that it was Ziva, he hadn't thought twice about it. He'd left a note and a key on the counter for Abby since he'd asked her to come by his apartment around 7:30. He knew that if he didn't answer the door, she'd try the door to see if it was open.

"My cousin, Stewart, he's been trying to convince my family that I, well… that I'm gay."

Ziva stifled a giggle and reached over to pat McGee's leg. He jumped slightly and looked down to where her hand connected with his thigh. He looked up to see her shaking her head at him with a small smirk.

"You haven't gone undercover as part of a relationship, have you McGee?" She said, retracting her hand. "That response could get you killed."

"I highly doubt my family would kill us."

"OK, well it would certainly expose your fib of having a girlfriend."

"How so?" McGee asked, glancing toward her.

"Well, we have had sex, yes?" Ziva asked him.

McGee looked to her horrified for a moment. Maybe asking Ziva to pose was a bad idea. He jumped again as a loud honk emitted from the car coming up behind him. He jerked his car back into his lane and glanced at Ziva again, embarrassed.

"So, how long have we been dating?" Ziva asked him.

"Uh," McGee let out a sigh. "A few months? Secretly."

McGee took an exit and made his way toward the center of the town they'd arrived in. He glanced down to his watch, it was almost 9:30pm. He'd told his mother that they would be there between nine and ten.

"Ok, so family run down. You've already met Sarah."

"You are being a little over board, yes?" Ziva said, trying to keep up with how many turns and neighborhoods he was driving through.

"I would have told you about my family if we're dating. Now, pay attention. Mother's name is Janice, she's a housewife and loves to cook. My father is William but everyone calls him Bill. He's spent the last 30 years working as a photographer. Grandparents are Joseph and Edna Keller. Tomorrow is their 52nd wedding anniversary."

"Wait." Ziva stopped him. "I thought you said this was a family reunion."

He pulled up in front of a two story home. The hard was well manicured; the bushes were neatly trimmed, flowers professionally placed and maintained. There were lights on in several rooms and she could see shadows of people moving around inside.

"It is. The reunion is at the same time as their wedding anniversary. Two parties in one. They like to keep it simple."

McGee got out of the car and walked around to her side of the car and opened the door. Ziva smiled at his chivalrous act. This might give her a first-hand view of where he got some of his more endearing quirks. He reached his hand down to help her out of the car. She took his offered hand and climbed out.

"We must treat this like any other undercover situation. Just act as if we're in love." She reached her hand up to push some hair behind his ear. "You'll do just fine."

She smiled and pulled him down and pressed a short peck to his lips. He couldn't help but smile as he looked around himself in an attempt to cover his increasingly pink face. "What was that for?"

She lowered her hands down his arms and held onto one of his hands, lacing her fingers through his. "Just giving the audience what they were watching for."

He looked up to see a small group of faces jump back from the window and the curtains floated back into place. This was going to be a circus. He'd stuck his foot in his mouth and now had to play it through. He walked them both to the trunk and took out the two bag. Ziva took hold of his hand again as they walked toward the front door of the house. Before McGee could ring the bell the door flew open.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't little Timmy." The guy at the door said.

McGee nodded his head once in greeting to the man on the other side of the door. His eyes went from his cousin to the woman. She glared at him a little as his eyes traveled up and down her figure. She had the urge to strike him in the chest but figured that would probably be a bad first impression.

"So, you're Abby, huh?"

"No." Ziva said.

"Stewart, Ziva. Ziva this is my cousin Stewart.."

Ziva smiled in recognition. "So, he is the one that claims you are… in the cupboard, yes?"

"It's 'in the closet,' Ziva." He looked to Stewart, who was looking at him strangely. "She has a little problem with her expressions."

Ziva leaned closer to Stewart, her breath was hot against his ear. McGee looked just as confused as his cousin did as to what Ziva was doing. However, he smiled to himself as he saw how uncomfortable she was making his cousin.

"I can assure you, he is not gay." She whispered into his ear.


	4. Greetings

Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

Chapter Four

Stewart had proceeded into the kitchen to where, McGee assumed, the family had converged. He had put their luggage next to the staircase and had a quick whispered conversation where he reminded her to call him by his first name to sell their cover.

"And she's hot!" They heard Stu saying as they approached the doorway.

McGee had his arm around Ziva's neck and she had boldly inserted her hand into his back pocket. McGee cleared his throat and Stewart turned and held out his hand to Ziva and turned back to the half dozen adults facing them.

"What did I tell you?" Stewart cried.

Ziva reached up and smacked him on the back of the head. He grunted, turned to her with disbelief as did most of the other McGee's in the room. She turned to Tim, who also had a similar look. "What? It works when Gibbs does it to you." Ziva looked around the room and smiled as the adults started to laugh at Stu's expense.

A woman approached her and McGee. He dropped his arm from her shoulders as the woman wrapped her arms around him. She withdrew her hand as she waited for the family hug to end. McGee had a smile on his face as he looked at the woman and kissed her cheek before releasing her hand.

"Oh. Sorry. Mom, this is Ziva David. Ziva, uh, honey, this is my mother Janice." He looked over her shoulder and started to point to the other people looking toward her. "My dad, Bill; Grandfather, Joe; Grandma, Edna; uh, my uncle Edward and my cousin Paige."

Ziva smiled and waved to everyone as they held up their hand in greeting as their name was called.

"Ziva, that's such a pretty name." Janice said to her. "What does it mean?"

"Uh, it is Hebrew. It means, splendor. And thank you, I like it too." She leaned into McGee, smiling at him for a moment.

"Quite beautiful too," McGee added.

Ziva looked to him with a small smile. She inched her hand back into his and squeezed it lightly. The action had not gone unseen, which was the point after all. His grandparent's exchanged a smile and leaned closer to each other.

"I should take our bags upstairs." McGee said, turning to return to the living room.

"Oh, actually Tim." His grandfather said, standing. "You two will be downstairs. You'll be in the room next to Stewey-"

"Ah, Pop." Stewart said, turning. "I told you, it's not Stewey anymore. Stewart or Stu."

McGee's grandfather waved off the complaint of using a childhood nickname. "You'll be in the bedroom at the end of the hall."

McGee turned to return to the living room and Ziva followed him. She picked up her bag and smiled as she waited for him to show her to the room they would be staying in for the weekend. He led them down the hall and into the bedroom at the end. She looked around the small room; bed, television, night stands and a variety of family photos along the walls. Ziva smiled and put her small bag next to his and started to look at the photos. She barely heard McGee apologizing for his family already and asking what she'd told Stewart that had caused him to hurry back into the house.

"Is this you?" She asked him.

"What?" McGee looked up to see her looking at the pictures. He hurried over and stood in front of the photo of his sister and himself from years ago. In the photo, Sarah had McGee in a headlock with a huge smile on her face.

Ziva took that as a yes and started laughing while trying to get another good look at the photo. McGee was trying everything to keep her from seeing the photo as it only gave her and Tony fuel to torment him. Ziva was pushing against him and trying to duck under his arms to look.

"Oh come on, let me see." Ziva laughed.

"Ziva, please, no." Tim pleaded.

A short knock came on the door and it opened. Ziva and McGee froze and looked toward the bedroom door. McGee's hands were held up in mock surrender and Ziva's were wrapped around his waist, trying to move him out of the way.

Sarah cleared her throat and looked between Tim and Ziva. "Sarah," McGee said, straightening up. "You remember Ziva."

Ziva smiled and waved her hand to the younger girl. She'd only met her once but she was acting as Tim's girlfriend. "Hello again, Sarah."

"Ziva's your girlfriend? Since when?" Sarah asked.

"You," McGee stepped toward the door and closed it quietly. "Ok, I brought Ziva to shut Stewart up, ok?"

Sarah started laughing. "Is this about the gay thing?"

"Please, please? Don't say anything. Will you just go with it?"

Ziva smiled at Tim's pleading tone and shrugged her shoulder to Sarah who was trying to keep from laughing again. Sarah looked between Tim and Ziva and tried to make him sweat. "What's in it for me?"

"Wha-?" Tim looked shocked and turned to Ziva for help. She shrugged her shoulder again, "You got yourself into this."

Tim turned back to Sarah and sighed, crestfallen. "Ok, if you just go with the story… you can… you can use," Tim was finding it hard to speak now. "You can borrow the Porsche for that party, IF you promise to go with the story that Ziva's my girlfriend and you don't crash, scratch or spill anything in my car."

Sarah thought about it for a moment, trying to draw out the tension and finally smiled slowly and threw her arms around Ziva's shoulder. "Ziva!"

Ziva started laughing at the antics of Tim's younger sister. She'd missed the squabbles that existed between siblings. She thought for a moment of her own brother and sister, now both dead. She missed them both, even though Ari had turned out bad.

"Thank you." Tim told his sister.

"When do I get the keys?" Sarah asked.


	5. Settling In

Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

**Chapter Five**

Ziva had stayed up listening to Tim's parents embarrass him with stories of his childhood. He had spent the better part of the night trying to get them all to shut up while attempting to hide his increasingly red face. He hadn't planned on them telling his "girlfriend" stories.

"It is fine, McGee." She told him as they had locked themselves in the bedroom.

"You won't tell Tony any of those stories will you?" Tim asked, as he flattened a blanket on the floor.

She had been sitting on the bed with a small smile, watching him make the bed in the floor. She knew that he would probably object to sleeping in the bed, and he was being polite to offer her the bed, so she hadn't pressed the issue after her first attempt.

Sometime in the middle of the night, however, she had moved to the floor. Taking her pillow and the blanket along with her. She had woken to find herself next to McGee on the floor with her arm around his waist and a pounding at the door.

"Timmy!" Came a voice. "Timmy, time to get you and that sexy girl of yours out of bed."

Stewart. Ziva smiled. She rolled onto her back and stretched her arms over her head. Next to her she heard McGee let out a breath and felt his body relax.

"McGee? Are you alright?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, uh, I'm fine." He turned over and looked at her next to him on the floor. "You were asleep and…you have a death grip, you know that?"

"Excuse me?" She asked as she sat up.

Tim sat up trying to keep from looking at her form. She'd taken off her sweatshirt during the night also and was now in only a white undershirt that looked as if she'd altered by cutting the sleeves off and about two inches from the bottom. It now barely covered her belly button as she sat with the blanket melted into her lap.

"I woke up and felt an arm around me. I tried to get up without waking you but the moment I started sliding away, you tightened your grip." He explained.

Ziva smiled playfully. "Well I could not let my man get away from me and leave me alone on the cold floor."

"What?" He asked her.

She smiled, held a finger up to shush him and then pointed back to the bedroom door behind them. "Stewart is listening at the door." She whispered.

Tim turned and, sure enough, saw the shadow of his cousin's feet just under the door. He rolled his eyes and smiled to his partner. "Well, should I warm you up?"

"Ooh, I get the shower first?" She smiled.

"Very funny. Come here." Tim wrapped his arms around her and started tickling her sides. She hadn't expected it and started laughing.

"Stop… Tim." Ziva couldn't force herself to ignore the tickling sensation that was left behind from his fingers. "Tim!" She continued to laugh.

He finally stopped, holding onto her protectively so she wouldn't take a nose dive into the floor. She stopped laughing after a moment and she looked to him. The verbal death threat that had been on the tip of her tongue had vanished as she found his orbs locked onto hers.

"Uh," He looked away suddenly. Ziva could see the tips of his ears go pink as he withdrew his arms from around her body. "Do you want the shower?"

The moment had quickly passed and she was reminded that they were faking a relationship. She looked over to her bag and shook her head. "Go ahead."

"Sure?" He asked.

Ziva reached out and kissed his forehead. "Go."

Tim gathered his clothes and shaving kit before opening the door to see Stewart trying to get to the living room as quick as possible so he wouldn't be found outside the door. Tim chuckled to himself as he crossed the hall into the bathroom. "Morning Stu." He called.

"Huh? Oh, uh. Yeah, morning." He called up the hall.

Ziva smiled to herself inside the bedroom and got to her feet. She returned the pillows and blanket to the bed and a thought suddenly occurred to her. Stewart was in the living room, straight down the hall. She picked up her own bag of toiletries and some clothes. She opened the door, peaked out to see Stewart acting as if he was reading the paper, and snuck into the bathroom, much to Stewarts disbelief.

He tried to focus on the paper in his hand although he kept thinking of Ziva entering the bathroom right after Tim had. The only reason she would do that would be to….

"Tim!" Ziva's voice called out.

"Ziva!" Followed moments later.

His jaw dropped and he looked toward the stairs, hoping none of the elders were on their way down to hear Tim in the shower with his girlfriend.


	6. Shower

Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

**Chapter Six**

Ziva had entered the bathroom and put her things down on the counter. She could hear McGee humming to himself as he showered. She smiled, put the seat of the toilet down and sat upon it for a moment. She examined her fingers, reached into her bag and pulled out a small knife in which she used for a file. She began to scrape it across one of her nails and then stopped. She looked up to the door and a sly smile formed on her face.

"Tim!" She screamed.

The shower curtain pulled back slightly and McGee looked to Ziva sitting on the toilet with a smile on her face.

"Ziva!" He said suddenly.

She turned to him and shushed him, smiling.

"What are you doing in here?"

"We are making love, yes?" Ziva told him.

Tim suddenly turned red and closed the curtain again. He was glad that she couldn't see him behind the shower curtain, his face was redder than ever and he knew it. Ziva was trying to make his cousin think they were having sex in the shower while his parents and grandparents were upstairs.

"Are you going to let me shower or are you going to waste all the hot water?"

He looked down and then realized. If he got out, she'd see him naked. But if he turned off the water and then she turned it on again, Stewart would get suspicious. This was going to take some skill.

"Uh, how about I get out and you get in at the same time. Op-opposite ends, of course." He rolled his eyes at himself. She was going to make his life hell when she told Tony about what she really did over the weekend.

"On three," She said after a few moments. "One, two, three."

McGee climbed out of the shower in the front while Ziva climbed in at the back. Before she closed the curtain, she did get a quick glance at McGee's ass. She couldn't hide the small smile as she started to wet her hair.

A few moments later, Ziva turned off the water and reached for a towel. She dried herself off and poked her head around the curtain. McGee was leaning against the counter, having just finished putting on aftershave.

"Could you hand me my clothes please?"

McGee looked down to the clothes she'd brought into the bathroom with her and picked them up. He diverted his attention as he saw her matching underwear set on the top of the pile. She reached for the under garments and disappeared behind the curtain once more. She then withdrew her hand to take her pants from him followed by her shirt.

She opened the curtain and saw Tim standing next to the door again. He still looked completely embarrassed that she'd walked in and made his family think they were having steamy shower sex.

"Uh, well I'm going to go see if they need help with breakfast." Tim excused himself.

Ziva smiled, chuckled to herself and went to work brushing her hair and teeth and then applying a light layer of makeup.

McGee came out of the bathroom and Stewart was still sitting on the couch. He sprang to his feet as he saw his cousin walking toward him.

"Well, Timmy. Quite a morning, huh?"

McGee tried to act as if he had no idea what he was talking about. "Oh, don't act all innocent. Do you two make it an everyday thing, sharing a shower?"

Tim smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Do you blame me?"

Stewart started laughing, slung one arm around McGee's shoulder and playfully punched him in the stomach. "My man! Are you kidding? Your girl is quite possibly the most beautiful chick I've ever seen."

"Chick?"

The two men turned to see Ziva standing behind them. Tim saw the anger in her eyes from the term even Tony had learned not to use in reference to her. McGee smacked his cousin and stepped forward to stand next to her.

"Hey. She's not a chick. She's a woman, _my _woman and you will show respect when talking to or about her."

Ziva smiled up to him, she'd never seem him act so protective about anyone. Somewhere in his speech she forgot that they were faking their relationship and she reached up to pull him toward her. She stood on tiptoes slightly and pressed her lips to his.


	7. Yes, Emma I like her

Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

The family had eaten and more of McGee's family showed up. Ziva was suddenly overwhelmed as the house filled with children of every age began running around and screaming and playing. Ziva and McGee had sat down on the couch together while McGee started talking with one of his aunts.

"So, Tim, when is Ziva joining the family officially?" His aunt asked.

Tim's ears went pink and Ziva smiled. She hadn't thought she was the marrying type. Instead, just two hours before, she'd realized that she could be the type. _He _had made her the type. She snaked her arm through his and leaned forward.

"We have enough to concentrate on right now, trying to keep our coworkers from finding out we are together."

"You don't want them to know?"

"I do not want the other women being jealous. I have the sexiest Special Agent at NCIS." Ziva said, squeezing his hand and leaning into his body slightly.

Ziva felt a small hand squeeze its way under the hand that wasn't wrapped around McGee's arm. She looked down to a young child about the age of five. She smiled softly as the girl continued to look at her.

"Miss Timmy, will you help me build a snowman? Please?"

McGee looked down to his cousin and smiled. The older adults also saw the exchange and smiled sweetly. Emma always had a way of getting the attention she sought after. Ziva smiled to the little girl and ran a finger down the girl's nose.

"Of course, I will, sweetie."

Ten minutes later, McGee watched from the living room window as Ziva walked outside with the girl. She'd taken the care of bundling the girl up so she wouldn't be cold once they went outside. He watched as she walked behind the little girl, trying to find the best spot for the creation of Frosty. McGee smiled and went to grab his coat. He made his way outside and jogged to the side of the two girls.

"Looked like you two could use another hand." He said, coming up behind them.

Emma came up to Tim and he instantly picked her up. She looked back to Ziva and smiled. "You were right."

Tim looked up to Ziva who reached out and covered the little girl's mouth. "You were right about what?"

Tim pushed Ziva's hand down from the little girl's mouth and she smiled. Her innocence shining through her previous statement.

"She said that you would come outside with us because you like her. Do you like Ziva, Timmy?"

McGee looked to Ziva, who was trying to cover the expression on her face by looking away. He smiled as he saw how truly beautiful she was in that moment. Suddenly memories from the beginning started to flood his brain.

She had agreed to pose as his girlfriend and then looked upset when he said that he could get Abby to do it if it was a bother; the car ride to his grandparents' house where she had put her hand on his leg; the way she'd kissed him and held onto his hand the night before; How she had snuck into the bathroom and then screamed his name to make his cousin believe they were having sex.

She finally looked up at him again, wondering why he'd gotten so quiet after his cousin's question. He was looking at her, directly at her. There was something new in the way he was looking at her.

"Yes, Emma, I like her." He set the girl down and continued to look into Ziva's eyes. "I like her a lot."


	8. Confessions

Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

**Chapter Eight**

McGee had almost felt ashamed of the thought that had entered his mind after admitting that he liked Ziva. Later, as he thought of it, he couldn't believe that he'd been trying to think of ways to ditch his five-year-old cousin and have time alone with Ziva. It was barely noon and he wouldn't be alone with her until bed time, whenever that would be.

Ziva had gone on the rest of the day as if nothing had changed from their arrangement. She was still playing to be his girlfriend. He didn't want to fake that relationship anymore. He couldn't even find a moment to tell her that he really wanted to talk to her. He'd made up his mind. Ziva would return to Silver Spring as his _real_ girlfriend, he hoped.

"Ziva's a great cook."

A simple statement had stolen another moment he thought he could have talked to her. Once his mother and grandmother found out that Ziva was handy in the kitchen, she was scooped out of McGee's arms to be taught some traditional McGee family dishes. He'd tried several times to poke his head in the kitchen but each time was chased out by a different female family member. Sarah was the last to chase Tim from the culinary domain.

"Will you leave us be, damn it?"

"They're not telling her anymore stories are they?" He said, craning his neck to see Ziva laughing.

"Relax, Tim. They love her. We're bonding." Sarah said and pushed him back into the living room where the men all sat around the television watching home movies of Stewart's football games and Tim's chess club matches.

Dinner could not have come quicker, yet still Tim couldn't find a clear moment to speak to Ziva. His mother raved the entire meal about how Ziva had picked up the dishes and even added a few of her own. Tim had eaten her cooking a few times and the traditional dishes that she'd prepared, he wasn't shocked that they tasted just as they always had.

"This is the best Baby Food Cake I've ever had!" McGee's grandfather claimed when dessert was served.

His grandmother looked at him with a look that could have put him six feet under. Sarah and her mother chuckled slightly and shoved more of the cake into their mouths and Ziva looked down at her own plate with a soft smiled.

"What?" McGee grandfather asked.

His answer was a swift smack to the back of the head. McGee and Ziva almost choked on their food trying so hard not to laugh. Tim noticed that the rest of the family was in the same boat.

"What was that for?"

"It worked on Stewart when Ziva did it to him." Grandma McGee said.

No one could hold in their laughter anymore. The adult table exploded with giggles from everyone and it hit Grandpa like a Mack truck. "Ziva made the cake didn't she?"

It was hours later, the dinner had been eaten and dishes washed (by the men, of course) when Tim finally closed the door to the bedroom they were sharing. Ziva was already gathering items to prepare to change into for bed when she turned to find Tim standing against the door watching her with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Is everything alright, McGee?"

"I've been going around all day trying to get Emma's question out of my head."

The look on his face when he'd answered that question returned to her memory; she blushed a little and looked down to the floor. This was much different than when she'd fallen for Roy. She had taken that time as her being weak. She hadn't expected to find herself thinking of McGee in the same way she'd found herself with Roy. She was surprised but somehow the little girl her mother had always wanted had emerged from the trained killer her father had created in her.

"I meant it, you know."

McGee's words brought her back to the reality in front of her. He was looking at her again and behind his eyes, she saw no lies. She'd never seen that soft expression from him in all the years she'd known him. Not even when he was dating the psycho woman who messed up his credit score.

"Meant it…" Ziva said. She put down the bag she had in her hand and began to walk toward him. However, before she got to him he blazed past her and began his rambles.

"I mean, I know… I know that this was just a façade to make my family think we were dating. I didn't want my idiot cousin to start making fun of me again, calling me gay- I think he just doesn't want to be the only black sheep in the family. Not that there's anything wrong with being gay, obviously, if there was, you know, Stu would have been exiled from the family years ago when he came out. The point is…" He stopped and turned to her again. "You're beautiful and, and, and I know that a girl, sorry, woman like you would never go for a guy like me but…" He stopped and took another deep breath. "I wasn't lying to Emma. I do like you. I don't want this to be fake anymore. I… I just, I don't."

Ziva stood where she had remained before he blew past her in his rambling of explanation. He was so cute when he was nervous and the babbling just made him even more cute. She walked toward him again and wrapped her arms around his neck. The smile was playing softly on her lips but he was tight with anxiety, hoping that she wasn't about to tell him he'd lost his mind.

"Tim," She spoke softly. "I have a confession. I have used your family. They have been my excuse to everything I have done in the name of this false relationship. I had been trying to think of a way to ask you out for days before you asked me here. I did not want you to think I had misplaced my marble." She put her finger against his lips to keep him from correcting her misuse of the idiom. "I have never wanted it to be false."

If there truly was a Cloud Nine, McGee had found himself on it. His smile matched hers as their feelings were finally revealed to each other. He couldn't believe his luck that she did in fact want to be with him, no story attached. His arms snaked around her slender waist and he looked down to her.

"What now?"

"I do believe in your American movies, the man kisses the woman." Ziva told him.

"I can do that." McGee said and lowered his lips to meet with hers.


	9. Lovebirds

Family Reunion

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee/Ziva

Rating: FR15, may change

Summary: McGee asks Ziva to pose as his girlfriend for his family reunion.

Note: Written for Sondheimmcgeek as a Hangman Prize.

**Chapter Nine**

The kiss had started off a little hesitant on McGee's part. He was kissing Ziva! More importantly, she was kissing him back! The small, shy kisses didn't last long as they equally deepened the kiss. Ziva could feel Tim's heart beating hard against his chest and she lowered one hand from around his neck to settle against where his heart expressed his enthusiasm.

"You are going to have a heart attack if you are not careful." Ziva told him as she pulled back from their first real kiss.

"I can't help it. I don't control it anymore, you do." McGee told her softly.

"Aww." She kissed him quickly once more.

She began to gather the items she'd put on the bed and returned to her bags. She picked up the smaller of the two, the one she wouldn't allow him near, and made her way bay toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

She turned, a sly smile on her lips. "I am going to dress for bed."

Ziva closed the door behind her and McGee sighed once more. She liked him, she'd kissed him… His weekend couldn't have gone any better. He turned and went to his own overnight bag and pulled out an old MIT shirt and some sweatpants, whistling the entire time he dressed for bed.

He turned on the small television to a news program and turned off the light before climbing into the bed. Ziva was taking her time to change. He wanted to hold onto her like she'd been holding onto him that morning. She fit in his arms so perfectly. He hadn't directly asked her to be his girlfriend, only that he liked her. He sighed thinking that maybe this time when he asked her, he wouldn't be so nervous.

The door opened and he looked up to see Ziva staring at him. She kicked the door closed behind her and dropped the bag on the floor. Tim's mouth dropped at the sight of her. She'd let her hair down and instead of the sweats she'd worn the night before, tonight she wore a pale blue baby doll nighty.

"Wow, Ziva." She smiled and walked toward him. He suddenly realized why she wouldn't let him touch the bag. "You planned this."

"Oh, McGee, I was pretending to be your girlfriend. How would it look if Stewart looked in my bags and did not find anything sexy."

She joined him in the bed and cuddled closer to him. He draped his arm around her shoulders and responded when she reached up to kiss him again. She had her man and now she had one thing on her mind.

She kissed him again, subjecting her idea to him with the kiss. He realized what she was going for and pushed back slightly.

"Ziva," He whispered.

"They already think we have been intimate, Tim. Go with what you want." She told him.

Tim smiled for a moment and returned her kisses. As he kissed along her neck he stopped and held her eye for a moment.

"Honey?" He said. She smiled and he nodded. Together they spoke, "Tony."

"I knew it was a good idea to keep that Christmas present." She grinned up to him.

The next time she'd scream Tim's name, it would not be as a cover.

Ziva woke the next morning and got out of bed as quietly as she could. She looked around at the room where they'd thrown their clothes the night before. She smiled as she picked up Tim's MIT shirt and pulled it over her head. She picked up her toiletry bag and went across the hall to the bathroom.

She returned a few minutes later having brushed her hair and teeth. Tim was awake by the time she returned. She smiled to him as she saw him leaning against the headboard.

"I did not wake you I hope."

He watched her walk toward him wearing his shirt. She looked even more beautiful after their night together. She sat down next to him and he reached out to pull her into his arms.

"Only thing that woke me was the empty spot next to me." He kissed her softly.

An hour later the two joined the family in the kitchen. Tim had his arms around Ziva from behind and they were both laughing. Sarah and Stewart looked up to them and shared a look quickly. The rest of his family smiled as the couple joined them. They sat down next to each other at the breakfast table.

"Morning everyone." Tim said as Ziva leaned into his body and he wrapped one arm around her.

"It's about time." Stewart spoke up.

Tim and Ziva looked to him in confusion. "What do you mean Stu?"

"I'm talking about you two finally getting together for real."

Tim looked to Sarah who was trying to sneak out of the kitchen without anyone noticing. She stopped suddenly as he looked to her and she tried to smile innocently.

"You told them?"

"What?" She said, tossing her hands up. "It's not like you would have told Ziva you liked her without our help. Besides, it was Grandma's idea to have Emma help."

Tim looked around to his family as they all tried to look anywhere but at him. His parents sipped their coffee, his grandparents busied themselves with breakfast and Stewart watched with an amused look.

"You're so not getting my car now." Tim told his sister.

Ziva began to laugh at the information that had been revealed in front of her. His whole family could see that he liked her even before he knew it himself. She loved his family even more. She sat up and turned, catching his cheeks in her hands.

"Do not be mad, Tim. They love you, as do I." She said before kissing him again, letting his family witness just how much she loved him.


End file.
